Tapas bar taps into business community

A number of leading business people in Ireland have put €1 million into the pot for Dublin’s latest restaurant: the 130-seat Zaragoza tapas bar on South William Street.

The new restaurant has 30 staff. Investors include Bord Bia chairman Michael Carey, whose Company of Food has backed the project, Neil O'Leary of Ion Equity and Kerry entrepreneur Jerry Kennelly, Marcus Hewson, former head of McDonald's Ireland, and John Harvey, who ran Salamanca restaurant in Dublin.

Former Fianna Fáil minister Mary Hanafin is also a part-owner of the business. Ed Ronayne is managing director of Zaragoza Restaurant. He was owner of Ronayne Catering and is a graduate of Dublin Cookery School.